Shriners Children’s Hospitals use Christmas-themed preprinted designs on BRE
I made my weekly run to check the post office box today, and there was the usual stack of nonprofit mailings containing an array of return address labels, notepads, and calendars.
A mailing from Shriners Children’s Hospitals also included a business reply envelope with three preprinted stamp-sized designs that I had not previously seen. The designs picture Santa Claus, a reindeer with presents on its back, and a car with a Christmas tree strapped to its roof.
Shriners Children’s business reply envelope with preprinted stamp-sized Christmas designs
Shriners Children’s has been using stamp-sized designs of this sort for a while now. They’re colorful, at least, and other than a few nonprofit stamps on the envelopes I received, this was the closest thing to what my daughter and I refer to as “stamp mail” that I received this week!
Canvey Island Local Post celebrates laundry delivery and postmaster’s ancestors
England’s Canvey Island Local Post last month issued a new local post stamp with a close connection to the post’s operator. According to an official announcement, the £1 stamp captioned “Laundry Delivery circa 1930” depicts CILP’s postmaster’s maternal grandmother and great-grandfather with the horse-drawn cart they used to make their deliveries.
The stamp was issued July 25.
Canvey Island Local Post Laundry Delivery stamp
Canvey Island Local Post also produced a first day cover and maxicard for the new stamp.
Of note is the “Travelling Local Post” cancellation near the top of the postcard pictured above. That postmark was introduced July 24, the day before the Laundry Delivery stamp was released, for use on mail that is carried to mainland England instead of being posted normally on Canvey Island itself.
Philosateleian Post, a private local post based in Floresville, Texas, will soon release a new local post stamp picturing the Eel River near Plymouth, Massachusetts. The 1-stamp stamp is scheduled to be issued October 1, 2025.
Philosateleian Post Eel River stamp
The Eel River flows just under four miles from Russell Millpond before emptying into Plymouth Harbor.
“I had no idea the Eel River existed until I visited Plimoth Patuxet, a living history museum in the Plymouth area, with my family in August 2024,” says Philosateleian Post’s proprietor, Kevin Blackston. “It was while at Plimoth Patuxet that I took the photo that served as the basis for my new stamp’s vignette.”
Philosateleian Post’s Eel River stamp will be its third and final new issue of 2025. It will be the first time since 2021 that Philosateleian Post has issued more than two stamps in a single calendar year.
Technical Specifications
Format: sheets of 45 (5×9). Plate number: P250821. Design size: 33×23 mm. Overall size: 36×26 mm. Separation method: perforated 12. Adhesive: water-activated dry gum. Printing method: laser.
Philatelic Services
To receive a mint single of Philosateleian Post’s Eel River stamp, or for first day cover service, send either $2 or a self-addressed stamped envelope and your request to:
Kevin Blackston
Philosateleian Post
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America
Salsa stamps bring fresh ingredients to classic design
Between work and chores and other such life activities, I haven’t put much time into stamps of late. But I did prepare the fall supplement for The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album yesterday evening, and today I wanted to share some new “stamps” shared with me by a correspondent.
The creator of these stamps is Donovan Beeson, formerly of the Letter Writers Alliance. Donovan sent a block of 10 cinderellas containing seven different designs picturing salsa ingredients: tomatillos, onions, tomatoes, avocadoes, garlic cloves, jalapeños, and limes. Yummy!
Donovan’s salsa stamps
The designs of Donovan’s stamps were clearly inspired by Mexico’s “Export” airmail stamps of the 1970s and 1980s, which depicted various products exported to other countries.
The denomination of each of the stamps is given as a price per pound. For example, the tomatillo stamp’s denomination is $1.99 per lb. That’s pretty clever!
You can find more of Donovan’s design work on her Patreon site.
Operation Smile uses modified art on business reply envelope
It has been a bit since I posted about any business reply envelopes, but an example that showed up in the mail this week makes the grade for a quick mention.
This envelope enclosed in a mailing from Operation Smile bears three preprinted stamp-sized images of a kite, a giraffe, and Earth.
Operation Smile business reply envelope with kite, giraffe, and Earth designs
If you think these look familiar, you’re right: the same basic designs appeared on the BRE distributed in a December 2023 mailing from the same organization. In that case, however, the designs had colored borders and backgrounds, while on this new examples, the designs have white backgrounds and no borders at all.
